Winter's Tale: Short Stories
by Lapis Moon
Summary: Please read Winter's Tale first. It is a collection of short stories based on the characters
1. Chapter 1: The Path to Elysium

I ran my fingers once more over the freezing hilt of my icy sword, still a bit reluctant to leave it behind. In a voice that she probably considered to be patient, Mab had requested (and therefore in all definitions, ordered), for me to leave it behind. That made me question her logic, and the common sense of almost all the nobles in the court. We were walking straight into Arcadia, home of our ancient enemies who probably wanted nothing more than to completely destroy us, and she didn't want me to look threatening. Apparently, my three brothers were an entirely different story, because the same logic obviously failed to apply to them. However hard it was to reason with theories that made sense, it was equally difficult to improve theories that were absolutely impossible to understand.

Stabbing a hairpin into my black hair and hoping it would suffice as a makeshift weapon, I sighed once more at the entire concept of going to Summer. Really, in my honest opinion, Elysium was perfectly pointless at times. I doubted Mab and Titania could be ever defined as friends, but they were both polite to a certain extent so that they would not readily kill each other. It was more like a bargain, one that promised peace to both realms, a mutual interest of both courts. Though Mab would probably never admit weakness out loud, it was probably not in her best wishes to have the Summer court attack us.

Rumors floated around really quickly, and everyone had been gossiping about the arrival of Oberon's half-human daughter. I wondered what had compelled her to come to this world, because I was sure the human realm would be undoubtedly safer. Many fey, perhaps including Titania, would not approve of her presence. I supposed one of my brothers would soon share that disapproval, because now the ancient tradition could be properly fulfilled. One of them would have to dance with her, if she came tonight. If she carried a weapon of any sort, I would definitely do the same next time, whether Mab approved or not.

Closing my eyes, I let my mask settle over my mind, my expression turning emotionless and cold. As the Winter princess, I would not show weakness in the Summer court, or even in my own. With a small sigh, I opened the door that served as the only barrier between me and the rest of the uncaring realm.

Rowan was there already, standing with a bit of eagerness in his blue eyes. Sage looked indifferent to the entire thing, and Ash, as always, looked like he regretted waking up this morning. Truthfully, I did too, though when Rowan turned to me, smirking at my lateness, a stronger feeling overcame me to make use of the hairpin. The idea was immediately dissolved though, when the air stung with the sudden cold, and Mab, dressed in a black dress with frost adorning it in intricate designs, gracefully entered the corridor with many nobles behind her.

"Today we shall depart to the Summer court! Those that dare to bring Tir Na Nog embarrassment shall deeply regret it." The last phrase was said in a threatening voice, adding to the effect of her warning. For some odd reason, she turned toward me, and I blinked, unaware of the logic behind the sudden attention. I hadn't done anything to deserve it. Yet.

Perhaps her meaningful glance was meant as a reference to her warning earlier today. I wasn't to attempt to freeze, glare at, kill, etc. whoever asked me to dance. That wasn't so hard a request, considering that I was entirely of fey blood, and so I couldn't miss the imperfection in her words. I wasn't to 'attempt' to. It didn't mean I couldn't. After all, if an attempt succeeded, it was no longer just an attempt. Perhaps that was actually Mab's intention. As these irrelevant musings filled my mind, Mab was sending a pointed look through the crowd of Unseelie fey, making sure the message was adequately conveyed. I noticed that a few redcaps stood near the Winter knights, and I questioned their presence here.

It was Mab's choice though, and choosing to live, I didn't verbally ask the question that was ringing in my mind. "Will Titania insult us again?" Ash made light conversation as we exited the castle, his voice still holding traces of obvious boredom. A memory drifted back to me, reminding me of what had happened last Elysium. Though the Summer Queen's insults had been slightly veiled and rather subtle, it didn't change the fact that she had still indirectly spoke ill of us.

"Yes," I answered, still a bit reluctant to go. "It's probably the only reason she actually goes to Elysium." She probably also went to glare at us like she cursed our very existence, and after a bit of thought, I concluded she actually did. Honestly, though it was in my blood to hate the Summer fey, I didn't personally dislike anyone until Titania's sharp glowers somehow managed to earn my hate.

"Other than the fact that she's the Summer Queen?" Rowan smirked again, and I decided that the number of times he smirked at me was comparable to the number of stars in the sky. His point was valid though, and I didn't bother coming up with a better response.

I rolled my eyes at him before noting that, outside, it was snowing again. Though snow was a very common weather here, I couldn't help but admire the beauty of the frigid terrain, the white grounds not making it any less harsh or soft. I stepped into one of the carriages with my brothers, glad that Mab and the rest would ride separately, for I really didn't want to wear my mask the entire trip. Though caution was still required, as Rowan was next to me, at least I was allowed some freedom of personality before the dreaded celebration.

Claiming the seat by the window, I figured the changing landscape would be easier to watch than the tense atmosphere that would probably arise between Ash and Rowan. Though I knew the appearance of the realm well, the fact that I was home never ceased to offer me comfort. The horses began to run, and the ice-topped trees seemed to fly by us in a blur. Delighted by the sight of the shimmering snow, I allowed myself a tiny smile. "What kind of person do you think the Summer Princess is?" I asked curiously. Summer fey were more willing to show their emotions, and I wondered how much of her father's blood would awaken in her.

"Hopefully, she is nothing like her father's wife," Ash said, seemingly bored of the entire situation already. His words held truth though, and I winced at the very possibility of said nightmare.

"True enough. What were you doing a day ago? You said you were hunting, but where?" I glanced at him, trying to guess his response. It really had no relevance to the topic, but I was curious. There was also the chance that he would ignore me altogether, though thankfully, he did answer after a short pause.

"I was in the Wyldwood," he said, and I didn't miss the slight frown that appeared at the memory. Mostly due to Rowan's presence, I respected what he was keeping secret, and silently turned away. "I saw Goodfellow. He was with a girl, and it seems he is capable of rational thought, as he fled to Summer where I could not follow," Ash finished, and I looked to him, surprised that he had continued.

"Interesting. What did she look like?" Rowan sat up, his lips curling into a smile. For the brief moment before it vanished, there was a look of anger in his pale icy eyes at the mention of Robin's name, and I drew the connection to Ariella.

"A girl." Came Ash's nonchalant response. For a minute, I comprehended his words with curiosity. Did the possibility exist that he had purposely said 'a girl' instead of 'a fey girl'? Then again, he wasn't the type of person to have many words, and so it may have just been my own thoughts. Deciding that trying to stop their argument was pointless, I began to silently listen to the results of their rivalry, resolving not to come between it.

"Yes, little brother. Even I know that much. Would it hurt to be more specific?" Rowan glared, annoyed. I wondered why he was so curious, before I cursed my own curiosity and mentally told myself that I didn't want to know what Rowan was thinking.

"She had long hair and-" Ash's sentence was cut off, but I again wondered if it was just due to his personality that he was being so vague.

"And a nose and a mouth. Continue." Rowan interrupted, rolling his eyes. Even though Ash had leaned back and closed his eyes in the act of sleep, he still gave a faint smile. Sage sighed quietly, already bored of the argument, and I felt a smile curl my own lips.

There was a pause, and I wondered once again if Ash would bother to reply, before he surprisingly did so. "I was hunting in the woods, trying to shoot my eternal enemy from several feet away. I lack both interest and a legitimate reason to pay attention to the girl next to him."

"I would have," Rowan said, and I didn't at all doubt his words.

"Well fortunately, I'm not you." Ash smirked slightly before falling silent, signaling that he wanted to sleep. It was good that his eyes were closed, because he didn't see the glare that Rowan shot at him. Shaking my head and trying not to laugh, I stared out the window again. We were in Summer.

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AN

I edited this chapter once again, and (hopefully), it counts as an improvement. I would love to hear your opinions, so please leave a review!

-Lapis Moon


	2. Chapter 2: Elysium's End

Soft green grass adorned the land, spotted by a rainbow of colors splashed onto the petals of an assortment of flowers. The trees here shimmered with emerald leaves, the color soft and filled with the glow of life. Vines curled gracefully over parts of the land, decorating it with splashes of green, and further indicating the beauty of the Summer land. It was the opposite of Winter here, where instead of the cold and frigid beauty of Tir Na Nog, there remained a gentle, glowing land filled with life. Unused to the sight, I fell into a daze, feeling out of place here.

Ash calmly walked on, following Sage and Rowan into the place where Elysium was taking place, and I hurriedly followed, not wanting to be left behind. Raising my head and summoning an air of confidence, I walked into the court, my expression carefully kept blank. As we entered, many gazes drifted to us, and my own blue eyes traveled to where the Summer king sat. Immediately, I could identify his daughter, sitting beside him in a faery dress. Their eyes were similar, I noted, and her ears were pointed like a faery's. She looked up at us, and her gaze landed on Ash for a second, before her eyes widened with surprise.

Unexpectedly, Ash showed reaction to this, blinking once in recognition. He had seen her before, and though I had no clue how that was possible, this wasn't the place to ask. Mab greeted the two Seelie rulers, before beginning to talk with Titania, and I heard the words 'gown' and 'fabric' and 'colors' in the conversation. I curtsied to them, following my brothers' bows, and they nodded, before continuing their talk.

I took that as a sign to leave, and a bit gladly, I did so, ignoring Rowan when I passed him. He was in his 'charm-mode', and from experience, I knew to get as far away as possible before I began making use of my glamour. When I approached them, Ash and Sage were having a quiet conversation about the Seelie princess, and Ash nodded at me when he noticed my presence. "She was the girl with Goodfellow," Ash said simply, and though his bored tone didn't display his relief, his eyes did. Sage said nothing, and I assumed that he had come to the same conclusion as I did. It was good Ash hadn't shot her then.

"The tradition needs to be fulfilled, right?" I asked, stealing a glance at Mab out of the corner of my eye. There was no response from the two of them, until Sage spoke after a moment of thoughtful silence.

"If Ash and Rowan are not willing, it will be my duty." As always, he sounded disinterested, though not unaccepting of what he considered to be his job. Or at least, he wasn't as immature as me, to mentally complain about almost every task I had been burdened with.

"I will dance with her," Ash said, turning away to approach the Summer princess. Though his expression was carefully controlled, there was a flash of undetectable emotion, and I felt as I had seen that look before, but it vanished before I could remember where. Oberon's half-human daughter was sitting near him at the table, and though I wasn't sure if it was intentional, it was obvious she had inherited some of her father's grace. She seemed uncomfortable at Ash's presence though, and Ash said something that caused her to look thoughtful. By her expression, I guessed that he had threatened her with Mab's wrath.

A bit reluctant to approach Mab, but knowing that I must, I joined Sage in walking over to where the other royals sat. They were observing the dance between the third Winter prince and the Summer princess with varied expressions, though thankfully, none of them were particularly displeased. It seemed the shaky truce would not crumble to dust for the moment. Ash was twirling her now, and the half-faery's movements hinted at her hidden grace, though as she stumbled beside him, it seemed to me that she was not aware she could dance.

"Ash is dancing and he doesn't look like he wants to die," Rowan observed lightly, and I wondered when he had gotten there. Much as I hated to admit it, Rowan was actually fairly right this time. Ash hated celebrations or balls, and his dances had seemed robotic, like it was out of necessity instead of enjoyment.

"You're not dancing and you don't look like you want to die," I replied, my response automatic. It seemed like every time he said something, I had the urge to insult him back. Though that could hardly count as an insult.

"Am I supposed to laugh?" he asked sarcastically, and I shrugged, my focus still on the pair dancing and seemingly talking at the same time. The Seelie princess seemed more comfortable, and it was evident in her increasingly natural dance.

"Do as you wish. I couldn't influence your actions even if I had the desire to, which I can ensure you I don't," I muttered, for some reason not wanting for our mother and the Seelie rulers to hear our petty argument. They probably didn't though, for their attention was obviously diverted away from us.

Sage gave a tiny sigh, and I could hear the reflected exasperation, like he too had no wish to listen to us argue pointlessly. We did it all the time though, so it wasn't unusual in any way. Rowan's blue eyes suddenly hinted at danger, and a similar feeling arose in me, immediately triggering my wariness.

The ground rumbled, the first shake threatening and obvious. A wave of silence spread through the fey crowd, and no one moved for a second, before they were brought back to their senses, and began to realize that they must do something productive. The knights and warriors drew their swords, and the fey nobility glanced around, as if concluding that simply looking for the threat so they could run would be the best option.

Sage and Rowan drew their swords, and I saw that Ash's was already in his hands, result of many years of battle experience. The Summer Princess was behind him, and he had done well to protect her, for if he failed to, the treaty would suffer. Everyone in the area was glancing warily at the great shadow appearing in front of them, and with the next shake of the land, a chimera seemingly stepped out of nowhere, eyes filled with incomprehensible rage.

The grounds had become chaos as knights did their best to approach, sidhe did their best to save their lives, and fey everywhere did their best to confirm their sanity. Actually, I was tempted to do the same until Rowan's icy eyes flitted to the same direction, telling me that he too saw the monster.

There was panic for a moment, uncertainty clouding the eyes of the sidhe knights, for so long had it been before someone dared to attack the three fey rulers. However, they prepared for battle, realizing that the chimera wouldn't listen to reason. My hand automatically flew to my side, though there was nothing there, and I felt helpless. That annoyed me, though there was hardly anything I could do about it.

Strangely, there was confusion present in the chimera's many eyes, though I couldn't possibly imagine why. Over the panic, Mab was giving orders to the Winter knights, and Oberon commanded his own army. Approaching the beast, Sage began the battle, his green eyes filled with unbreakable calm. Rowan followed, making sure to roll his eyes, and I wanted to help, though I knew better than to approach something so powerful without my sword. I refused to stand back and do nothing though, so I gathered glamour into my hand, and shot icy projectiles at the fuming chimera.

However, it seemed like a few ice daggers did less effect than my brothers' swords, as the chimera gave no reaction to my attack, focusing on the collision of claws and cold blades instead. There was a sort of crazed desperation in the chimera's eyes, as it slashed at its attackers, caring less about defense and more about killing. I longed to have more part in the battle, though my only comfort was that after this particular Elysium, Mab would let me bring my sword next time. If there was another Elysium.

Finally, with a great roar, the chimera fell silent, and the earth shook as it collapsed and morphed into nature, as all fey do when they die. Calmly, my brothers rejoined me, perfectly serene and not at all shaken by the whole ordeal. There was hardly time for any of us to celebrate the victory, because almost immediately, Mab's accusing voice filled the air with tenseness and the trees with coats of frost. "You dare to summon the creature to kill my people?"

Predictably, a flash of lightning ignited the dark sky, and the bright, momentary glow was enough to establish the anger in Titania's gaze. "I think the one at fault is you! Why would we have any reason to put so many Seelie at risk?!"

It would be the safer choice to let them yell at each other, though I was sure the treaty would dissolve like this. I gave a sigh, not at all liking the high possibility of a war. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught movement, and my gaze turned to see a redcap approaching the Summer princess. It was almost certain by now that the alliance would be destroyed, but I saw no reason to make it worse by letting the Seelie King's only child die.

Ash seemed to see it as well, and his gray eyes filled with incomprehensible anger, the air around him dropping many degrees. His pace was quick and threatening, as he rose to confront the redcap that was threatening the half-fey girl. Immediately, at his very presence, the redcap backed away, fearing his temper was as explosive as Mab's.

The Winter Queen seemed to declare something in an angered tone, and Oberon tried to calm her, though I knew that at the moment, Mab would not listen to rational words. Titania seemed to be angry at her husband too, and as she turned to yell at the Seelie king, I almost felt bad for him.

Ash rejoined us, and Sage let out a sigh, probably deciding that this argument had gone on long enough. If we failed to calm our queen, the safety of the entire Nevernever may be forfeit. Even Rowan's eyes, though still having a hint of amusement, looked a bit irritated. Reluctantly, I took a deep breath and approached my mother, not allowing any sign of emotion to show in my expression. "Your Majesty, let us return to Tir Na Nog."

I didn't expect for her to agree so quickly, but with another icy glare, she slowly said, "Very well." The way her words stung the air with absolute cold was an obvious, apparent declaration of war.

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AN

Thank you to all my dear readers! Please review! As some of you may have noticed, I have edited this chapter. Please tell me if I improved!

-Lapis Moon


	3. Chapter 3: Memories- Lessons

AN: Most of the chapters from this one on will be childhood memories.

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Fey thrived off human dreams, but, for the first few decades of our lives, we were still required to listen to faery tutors talk about extremely boring subjects for extended periods of time. It wasn't fair, really. I had better things to do, though Mab couldn't be convinced otherwise. So, because of her decision, indeed a tutor (who was well known for his knowledge), was trying to teach us about various subjects. Ash sat next to me, casually closing his eyes and relaxing. It was obvious he was bored, though I had no clue whether or not he was really asleep.

The tutor seemed to disapprove of my brother's behavior, because the sidhe narrowed his eyes in a sort of frustration before finally speaking. "Prince Ash! I would suggest you pay attention. It was your mother's decision that you must learn this!" He was standing at the front of the room, recording something onto a board of ice using ink. Laying neatly upon the long desk which I shared with my brother were many pieces of paper and a few books. They were untouched though, because I shared Ash's distaste for listening to lectures.

Ash said nothing, not even bothering to open his eyes. Though he disliked being at court, it was still hard not to become just a bit arrogant when in his position. I was sure that even on his various hunts, all the Unseelie he encountered showed him more than adequate amounts of respect. He was used to being allowed to do whatever he wished, and most people in the castle let him. After all, he was still a prince, and he could still easily kill most people who failed to acknowledge him as such. I resisted the urge to laugh at his behavior, feeling just a bit of pity for the tutor.

Reaching over, I picked up a book and flipped through the pages in boredom, preferring to be self-taught. It seemed Ash really was only pretending, because he finally opened his gray eyes to glare up at our sidhe instructor. Sage and Rowan were lucky, I decided. This was one of the many times that I wished I was older. The tutor held his icy gaze, though it was obvious to me that the sidhe felt a bit of fear. I glanced over the book, finding this staring contest rather interesting. "The answer is C," Ash said in a monotone, breaking the silence. He pointed at the board, where the choices were clearly written.

The tutor blinked in confusion, and then sighed in a sort of relief, almost as if he were glad that Ash seemed willing to learn. "Ah…yes, your highness. That is correct." Ash said nothing, and I stared up at the question, trying to solve it in my head. After a few minutes, I decided that Ash was right, though there was no longer a need to confirm it out loud. I turned back to the book in my hand, reading the next lesson. I heard the sounds of the question being replaced with another one, and Ash looked up in disinterest.

"A," He said, before the tutor was even done writing down all the answers. I nodded in agreement, wondering not for the first time why the tutor was even here. Ash knew this already, and I could learn it from books. My brothers were all fairly smart, even if I was reluctant to admit it in Rowan's case at times. It was one of the few areas where I had pride in as well, though I was sure that I did not exceed my brothers in total intelligence.

"That is…correct." The tutor looked up from his notes to stare at us for a long moment. "Could it be that you know this already?" I couldn't tell which one of us he was addressing, so I kept quiet, preferring instead to continue reading. It was obvious that Ash knew this lesson well, and, though I was a bit less comfortable with it, I could still answer any questions.

Ash sighed quietly, nodding slightly. "I was in the library yesterday. I read those books." He pointed to the stack of texts laying neatly on the table, and I blinked, realization dawning on me. Yesterday, Mab had made it clear that he wasn't allowed to disappear to go hunting again. His way of escaping the court must have been to spend the day in the library then. The tutor's eyes narrowed for a second.

"You learned this…by yourself?" He pointed at the board, and Ash once again nodded. "To the point of being able to solve these questions mentally?" That part was obvious enough, so my brother said nothing. The tutor just stood there in astonishment for several moments, probably trying to calculate exactly how smart Ash was. I watched him in amusement, and he slowly murmured, almost inaudibly. "In…less than a day?"

"Yes," Ash said simply. The tutor was speechless, watching him with disbelief. I didn't complain, considering that this was a temporary distraction from doing more work. Ash had always been smart, another way he was able to survive in the Winter court. I allowed myself a tiny smile of a sort of pride.

A few hours later, when we left the room, I heard the tutor murmuring to himself about talking to the Queen later. That was good, I decided. No more lessons for a while. Rowan would be upset at Ash, because Mab would undoubtedly be pleasantly surprised at Ash's intelligence. Frankly, I didn't know what to think. I decided to read the book again later, so I wouldn't fall behind. The realization once again hit me. I wasn't as good as my brothers, and I wasn't fit for the throne. It was exactly at that point that I decided not to pine for something I could never obtain, for truly, to succeed Mab was now nothing more than a pointless, impossible childish dream for me.

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AN

This chapter changed quite a bit, as the main idea was greatly altered. This time, I took into consideration the intelligence that Ash displayed in The Iron Knight, and I made a chapter showing his intellect as a child. I hope that you enjoy it. Please review!

-Lapis Moon


	4. Chapter 4: Memories- Sage's Nature

Because of the fact that there were too many things to remember, I conveniently forgot that Elysium was once again coming. This time, it would be held in Summer, which was not to my liking. Ash was apparently thinking the same thing, because he kept glaring at everything when the servant alerted us. The room had dropped a few degrees, sign of my brother's temper, and the servant had the mind to quickly run away. Ash showed no emotion as usual, though it was still obvious that he didn't want to go. The icy temperature of the room was his own way of throwing a childish tantrum, not that I didn't agree with his methods. Any faery that grew up in the Winter court could in no way be called immature, but Ash made it quite clear that he had no wish to attend. "Tell the Queen that I was out hunting, and that I forgot about the matter altogether." There was a note of irritation in his voice.

"We can't lie." Rowan looked slightly amused, and he smirked before continuing. "Besides, why would we get in trouble for your sake in case she finds out?" Frankly, I would get in trouble for his sake, but not for such a reason. I hated to admit it, but Rowan was right this time. There were few things that we could get away with from our mother. I doubted that she would believe us, even if we did decide to skip around the truth for Ash.

Ash glared at Rowan, and his voice was icy when he finally spoke. "I cannot understand why you would want to go." I agreed with Ash, though I knew better than to be caught up between their rivalry. Whenever they began to argue, it was pointless to interfere. Sage said nothing, watching them with indifference in his green eyes. I admired his ability to be so calm, even in the current situation.

"Ash, you are still required to attend. Your opinion on the matter changes nothing." Sage murmured, before fingering the hilt of his sword. At his voice, Rowan looked up to promptly glare at our eldest brother. Sage held his gaze, seemingly uncaring. He didn't show it, but he was probably uncomfortable at the thought of spending any amount in the Summer court as well. It was only a guess, though, because at times, I truly could not tell what Sage was really thinking.

For the thousandth time this morning, I once again sighed at the ridiculous rule that didn't allow me from bringing my sword. Though it was 'unladylike' I wished for any kind of defense in the Summer court. I knew that the fey there were rather eager to kill me, so it was natural to be uncomfortable. Rowan, however, smirked, happy to have been allowed to carry his. I resisted the urge to glare at him, half in annoyance and half in envy.

"I doubt any of them will attack." Ash muttered, before resuming his musings on how to make up an excuse not to go. He was probably right, though it made me feel safe to carry my sword near me anyway. A servant once again approached us, alerting us that it was time to go. I glared at nothing in particular as we followed the faery to where the carriage was.

When inside, Ash and Rowan started to argue again. It was becoming so frequent now, that none of us were surprised at the sound of Ash's bored voice calmly contradicting Rowan's smug and confident one. It was rather obvious to me that Rowan took their rivalry much more seriously. I suspected that Rowan was also the one that wished for Mab's attention the most. He seemed not to see Sage as another rival, despite the fact that, as the eldest, Sage was the current Crown Prince. Maybe it was because Sage had never been Mab's favorite.

"So, think that your new friend will be there?" Rowan smiled evilly. He was seriously spending too much time with Mab. That expression was much too similar to the one on Mab's face when she 'pondered' about something. I knew him well enough to know that when such an expression adorned his face, I had excuse to be afraid. Ash, however, showed little to no reaction.

We had all known that Ash had a friend from Summer. He didn't tell us who, and we were all surprised that Rowan didn't tell the Queen. Ash must have bribed/threatened/blackmailed him into silence. I wished that he would tell me. I would give almost anything to make Rowan be quiet for more than a minute.

"Do you think you can gain intellect there? You are in dire need of it," Ash muttered calmly, not even turning to meet Rowan's gaze. He decided instead to watch the window, purposely ignoring our older brother.

Rowan bristled in anger, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. I, on the other hand, was amused at what Ash had said. Sage sighed again, used to this. As Rowan insulted Ash again, I decided to watch the passing landscape, becoming bored of their pointless arguments. The white of Tir Na Nog was slowly blending into the green of Arcadia, and I could almost feel the air around us become warmer. I hated it, knowing that we were soon leaving our realm. On the small chance that we were attacked, we would not have the advantage.

I was only a decade old, and I had been to not too many Elysiums (what is the plural of Elysium?). Since there was no reason for me to go to Summer otherwise (I rather not get killed), I didn't see much green. Not that I was complaining. I would much rather be surrounded by the white of my own realm.

We entered Summer, passing many of the sidhe nobles who sneered and muttered not-so-nice things. Rowan looked angry, but he didn't say anything. Ash, who was even younger than him, kept his expression surprisingly level. Sage wore a mask of indifference, seeming not to care about what they were saying.

Mab walked in front of us, and she turned around to tell us to wait there. She needed to talk to Oberon. We nodded, a bit reluctant to stand in a field filled with Summer fey who hated our heritage. One of the nobles insulted us out loud with a, "Tir Na Nog is so white. I can't believe the Winters. How in the world do they live in that boring place?"

It wasn't that bad (I had certainly heard worse from people) and we said nothing. Rowan glared, and Ash simply made the air colder. The breaths of the Summer fey became clouds in the freezing air and they glowered at us, angry about the use of Winter glamour in their own territory.

One of the knights whispered something to his friend, who dismissed him like he was crazy. The knight ignored him and stepped forward. I didn't see the glint of the sunlight reflecting off his crystal blade until it was too late. He was in front of us one moment, and in the other, he aimed for Ash. Ash immediately jerked his sword out by the hilt, having quick reflexes.

Rowan looked at the knight with an icy expression, who had jumped to the side before he was slashed by Ash's icy sword. Sage drew his as well, and he entered battle mode. The knight ran to the side before raising his sword again, this time aimed for me. I had no weapon, and I could only pelt him with ice daggers. Most of them missed, but the one that nicked his side made him glare at me, his advance not slowed in the slightest. Time seemed to slow, and the nobles around me seemed to disappear. All I could see was the smirking knight, and his blade aimed to kill me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could make out both Ash and Rowan stepping forward. It was Sage that saved me, his form surrounded by the mist of his sword. He deflected the blade of the knight, who looked at him with surprise. "Prince Sage! How did you get there?!"

Sage merely glared and when he spoke, his voice was different. It was truly frightening. "I am Sage, the Crown Prince of the Unseelie Court. I will not allow you to harm my sister." His voice was scarily cold, and when I saw the expression on his face, I almost stepped back in fear.

The nobles gasped and one of them screamed, "See? The Unseelie court is filled with nothing but monsters!" At this, Sage turned to him, his ice-green eyes blazing with unbridled anger. They seemed to burn, and the air around him grew deathly cold.

The Summer sidhe stepped back in fear as Sage glowered at him, his eyes glinting with a dangerous light. He turned back to the knight and, in a split second, the Summer was encased in a glistening shell of ice. The look in Sage's normally calm green eyes was frightening. He looked like a true monster.

Sage was the indifferent older brother, the person that I could always rely on to keep calm. Whatever the knight did seemed to unlock something within him, and he changed. He turned to the noble again, advancing in slow, threatening steps. At this moment, the sidhe realized that the oldest Winter Prince was not to be tampered with, and that he was now in grave danger. Sage continued to advance, not turning back even when the solid block of ice that was the knight shattered, leaving shards of cold crystal and a simple bush of plants.

He raised his sword, the crazed anger still shining in his eyes before he suddenly fell to the ground. Mab had miraculously appeared behind him, and had knocked my eldest brother unconscious before he could kill another. I ran up to him, seeing if he was alright.

"It's fine. He is just unconscious. The spell was not meant to harm him. When he awakens, he will be normal again. I will talk to Oberon. The knight's death was justified. I'm sure that Sage would not do such a thing without a good reason." Mab sighed before heading back to the place where Oberon was.

One of the Winter fey that had followed her scampered over to Sage to see if he was alright. Rowan and Ash quickly ran up to us as well, Rowan glaring at the noble that had insulted Winter. The Summer sidhe was breathing heavily in relief, having realized how close to death he just came. The Summer fey cleared out, leaving us alone. I heard one of them mutter something about not wanting to be close to such monsters.

Normally, I would have stood up and said something, but I didn't want to risk the wrath of the Seelie court. Ash tried to confirm that Sage was alright, while Rowan stared to glare at the bush that was the knight. "Our oldest brother did well. I would have killed the one that dare to try and attack one of our own as well. Diana, are you hurt?" I was fairly surprised to hear Rowan sounding honestly concerned for once.

"Yes, I'm fine. Sage stopped him before he could harm me…but, what happened to him?"

"The Unseelie Nature," Mab answered, walking into the clearing with Oberon and Titania following. The Erlking gazed regretfully at the now-deceased knight. Then he cleared his throat and spoke up.

"I would like to know what happened here."

"One of your knights needlessly attacked our sister, trying to kill her with his sword. Sage stepped in to help her." Ash answered him in a clipped, icy tone. He was obviously angry at what the Seelie court had done.

"I see. Then, this time, it was the Summers that were in the wrong. I apologize, Lady Mab." Then Oberon nodded at us. "And to you three as well. Please tell your brother that we do not blame him for his actions."

Mab glared once at the bush, and I felt tempted to tell both her and Rowan that it was an inanimate plant that was incapable of attacking us again. Then she walked over to Sage, and said, "I believe that he would have calmed down by now. He must attend Elysium, so I will awaken him. Step back, children."

We complied, and watched as the Unseelie Queen laid her hand on Sage's forehead, before he winced and tiredly opened his eyes.

"I do congratulate you for protecting Diana, but take care not to awaken the Nature in front of the Summers." Her voice was purposely low as she whispered to Sage, careful not to let Oberon hear. It was nothing more than a hiss, and I had the distinct feeling that she was not entirely pleased with him. Then she rose and left, telling all of us to follow her to Elysium. Sage got up, touching his forehead like he had a headache before walking after her.

Elysium that year was fairly quiet, everyone gazing in fear and wariness at Sage. He was the first to unlock the Unseelie Nature, and as we would soon learn, it was a frightening power indeed.

* * *

AN

Once again, please review! Every single one is appreciated.

-Lapis Moon


	5. Chapter 5: Memories- Lupine

I picked at my food again, pushing it around the plate. Sage's chair, that was diagonal to mine, was empty, causing me to glance at it in worry. Where was he? It was the day after the strange scene at Elysium, and I had hoped that he would recover. He did seem to have a headache after he woke up. I got up, causing Ash to raise a questioning eyebrow. I ignored him and quickly walked through the corridors of the castle.

Despite the many strange glances I got from the various Winter fey that inhabited the castle (and the smirks of the redcaps that were hiding in the corner), I still managed to get to Sage's door without much trouble. The knights seemed wary of my presence, but said nothing, allowing me to knock. As I did so, they gracefully left, probably not wanting to get involved.

"Who is there?" Well, at least he sounded fine. His voice, as usual, was tuned to fit the mask of a Winter Prince. He probably thought that it was the best choice to be cautious. Even though I never had any thoughts of harming my own kin (except when they annoyed me to some extent), everyone was still overly careful. Though I was fairly certain that Sage didn't know it was me, I still felt a bit of disappointment, that he was talking to me as if I were a mere stranger.

"Diana." With my acute hearing, I knew that he gave a small, almost inaudible sigh. There was silence for several moments, and I was just about to leave, when I once again heard his voice.

"Come in."

I opened the door to see him reading. I stood there, speechless for several long moments, trying to remember how to form understandable words. Sage didn't bother to look up, and I finally broke the silence. "Everyone was worried. They think you are unwell." Ash was worried, but I doubted that Rowan was. I was referring to the whole of the Unseelie court, though. Still, most of the Winter fey seemed concerned at least, even if it was nothing more than an act.

He closed his green eyes for a second, and when he opened them, there was a spark of a sort of disbelief. He knew that most of the fey were not concerned for his wellbeing, despite my reassurances. "I am supposed to be, due to Mother's spell. The faery at Elysium informed me of that." His voice was indifferent, almost uncaring, and his entire demeanor was composed, despite the implications of his words.

"Our mother willingly cast a spell that would make you sick?" I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case, for Mab put the wellbeing of her kingdom in front of everything else. If she thought that spell was the quickest way to save her reputation, I knew she would use it without a moment's hesitation.

At this, Sage said nothing. I did remember a faery helping Sage when he was unconscious. Did he push a type of medicine into Sage's hand then? Intentionally healing Sage's wounds possibly against the unspoken wishes of their Queen?

"Perhaps not intentionally," he observed, his eyes lacking the reassurance in his voice. I let out a tired sigh, not wanting to start another game of twisting the meaning of words. Thankfully, a few knocks rang through the room again, and Sage repeated his first question in a monotone.

"Ash," The bored reply came, and the door opened when Sage gave permission. "Be grateful she didn't freeze you into a solid block of ice." Ash entered the room, closing the door behind him. He muttered something about needing to be more cautious, because he could hear our conversation from the other side of the door.

"The Unseelie Nature," Sage said a bit thoughtfully, his eyes scanning the pages of the book in his hands. "How long a time am I required to feign illness?" It was a casual inquiry, but there was a hint of discomfort beneath his calm voice.

"A few days, at the least," I stated, using my glamour to create a ball of ice, which I molded into several different shapes. It was a thoughtless act, an instinct to create something to do. Sage said nothing, but held out his hand and silently imitated my actions.

Ash put on a mask of indifference, but he still stared at the shapes of ice with a spark of interest in his silver eyes. Sage had molded his into a wolf. "Lupine."

"What?" I asked, not understanding what 'Lupine' was. It was strange for our eldest brother to say something that made no sense in either of our minds, so I chose to continue staring at him in a sort of confusion, hoping he would provide an explanation.

"I do not know. It came to my mind."

Little did we know, Lupine would soon become Sage's trusted friend.

* * *

"Let's go hunt. And let's tell Mab that it will make you feel better." Ash looked longingly out of one of the windows, a bit irritated at having spent more time than usual at court. I nodded, agreeing with the idea. Truthfully, I had no wish to stay in the castle either.

"Very well then, little brother." Sage's answer came after a moment of hesitation. I wondered if he hated the court as well, but was just more composed than Ash, not feeling the need to run away as often.

"Stop calling me that. You remind me of Rowan," Ash grumbled, annoyed at the mere thought. His pace became a bit faster, and I quickened my own to catch up. Sage said nothing, instead choosing sigh a bit tiredly. I followed both of them out the door, trying not to look as eager as I felt to finally leave the castle for a little while. We ambled through the Winter landscape, the endless fields of ice and snow stretching before us. Just then, we heard an injured howl pierce the air.

Sage blinked before taking off in the direction of its origin. We followed, wanting to see the cause of the pained cry. It was technically our responsibility as Mab's children. Besides, I wasn't as cold-hearted as I knew I should be. Ash, older than me by about a decade or so, had already learned how to put up a mask of indifference. He knew how to act like he didn't care in front of the majority of the Winter court that would try and trick him into contracts and favors.

As we ran through the snow, the sky continued to darken. The temperature began to drop, and the darkness cast an eerie shadow upon the landscape. The moon shimmered in the sky, illuminating the clouds around it with an unearthly glow. It made the trees seem evil, and the entire forest grew frightening.

The presence of some Unseelie fey that seemed to dwell there immediately parted as we sped by. We continued to run, until we came to the source of the pained howl. There was a young, injured wolf in the snow, her wound causing crimson drops to stain the ground. There was a larger wolf nearby, presumably her mother. There was an arrow cutting into the mother's side, and she gazed up at Sage weakly with pained, intelligent eyes.

She, even as a wolf incapable of speech, somehow seemed to realize that Sage was powerful, and that he could save her child. She gave him a look that was almost pleading. Sage understood. He walked over to the young wolf, and he picked her up from the now scarlet snow. Her mother almost seemed to smile, before her eyelids closed and she disintegrated into shards of ice.

Faery animals could not talk, but they became part of nature when they passed away. The wolves were known for their intelligence, and we could see in the eyes of the young wolf pup the spark of knowledge. She was cradled gently in Sage's arms, and her silver fur was stained with blood. She gave another pained cry before shivering once.

"She is cold," Sage murmured. Ash nodded, before telling us to follow. Right now, Ash was once again showing proof of his skill as a hunter, confidently navigating though the darkness of the forest. He knew the land well.

"We have to get back. Now." There was a sense of urgency in his tone, and Sage understood. At times like this, I would realize that being a Winter fey meant that I wouldn't freeze, but it also meant that I would be of no use in the process of keeping someone else warm. As a matter of fact, I doubted that nestling in the arms of the eldest Winter prince was much different than lying in the snow.

The moonlight was reflected in my oldest brother's eyes, and I could tell that he was set on saving her. Stubbornness was a trait we all shared. It probably had something to do with the fact that we were raised in a place where everyone in the court (save for Mab) would do practically anything we wanted. We were used to having almost all of our wishes granted by a single order to any Unseelie. I could tell that Sage wanted to save her, and, knowing him, he would stop at nothing to do so.

Sage shielded her from the snow and icy gusts of wind that threatened to freeze her. I didn't remember running so fast for a long time. After the wolf pup started to shake again, we all realized that we wouldn't make it to the castle before she would become unmoving.

"Come, in here." I pointed to a cave that would offer protection from the winter storm outside. Sage nodded and Ash followed him into the cave.

We built a fire for the pup, who gave a small yawn before curling her bushy tail around herself and falling asleep. Sage set her closer to the fire, careful not to wake her. Through closer examination, we could see that her wound wasn't life-threatening. To all of our surprises, as soon as Sage set her down on the ground, her left ear twitched and she stumbled up. She sniffed around before limping back into Sage's lap.

I hesitantly gave a small smile. "Isn't it strange how much we can be like ourselves if no one is watching? I would never say that in the castle, because everyone is always trying to find weaknesses."

"Maybe. I have long forgotten what it was like to genuinely smile." And Sage was right. We all had to wear a mask to survive in the icy kingdom. We didn't fear the cold of the weather, but rather the cold of the fey hearts.

Ash said nothing, but I somehow knew what he was feeling. I was probably so close to him because both of us weren't accustomed to the cruel game of politics yet. He tried to escape it by hunting, and Mab let him. She, after all, had a total of three sons. I, however, needed to stay most of the time. I didn't have Sage's icy indifference or Rowan's talent at speaking.

I could switch on a mask too, but my heart wasn't as shielded. I sometimes feared for that fact. Everything was like a cruel game. Even my own mother tried to make my brothers fight each other. I was slowly learning that if I didn't learn soon, I could not survive the cold of Winter.

In the castle, Ash became the youngest Winter prince, and Sage became the Crown Prince again. I was starting to become accustomed to their acts of icy indifference, and that scared me.

"Lupine." Sage whispered it again, and smiled gently, hesitantly at the small wolf that refused to leave his side. The fire danced in his green eyes, and, for that split second, I swore that I could see his icy shield melting in the crimson flames.

* * *

AN

I have edited this chapter, as I have many others, and I would love to hear whether or not I have improved. Thank you once again for reading this story.

-Lapis Moon


	6. Chapter 6: Memories- Human World

"Would you like to go to the human world with us?" Rowan offered with a smirk, watching intently as Ash and I sparred. Technically, he was the only one attacking. I was just trying to survive for another minute.

"When?" I gave a short answer. Partly because I thought that it was sufficient, and partly because I ducked to avoid being beheaded. Fighting Ash and surviving was a difficult task in itself. Add that to the fact that I was holding an almost-conversation at the same time, and I had just literally accomplished the impossible.

"Later. After you get beaten by Ash," Rowan commented lightly, mischief dancing in his eyes. He knew that I couldn't win. I wanted to glare at him, but I decided that the fight was more important. A glare wasn't worth dying. Or maybe it was. Rowan should stop tempting me.

"You're not helping," I hissed, an ice dagger missing me by mere centimeters. Why in the Nevernever was Ash such a good fighter? This wasn't fair. After I lost to him the first 70 times or so, I realized that I should give up trying to land an attack on him. Defending was much wiser.

"Concentrate." Ash's expression was serious, but there was a teasing glint in his gray eyes.

"Why? It's not like I can win." Why was everyone determined to make me miserable today? Ash slipped into a battle stance, and his sword arm whipped out with such speed that I didn't realize that he had attacked. I raised my blade in defense, the strength of his blow knocking it out of my hands. I quickly leaped away, shooting ice daggers at him as I tried to put more distance between us.

He smirked and dodged them, not looking tired at all. This spar was taking absolutely no effort on his part. For some unknown reason, that aggravated me. Besides, I was weaponless now. I sighed, and walked over. "You win. Good job, older brother."

"Why give up?"

"One, in case you lost count, I lost 70 times already. Two, I don't have a weapon, and I'm fairly sure that ice daggers will be ineffective. Three, I don't feel the need to continue when it's obvious that you will win."

"Actually, you lost against me 72 times." Ash gave a smirk, earning him a glare from me.

"Close enough. Spar Rowan or Sage for once. I want to see what will happen when you fight someone decades older than you."

"Fine." Ash turned his gaze to Sage, who was casually reading a book by the side. "Sage, fight me?"

"Very well." Sage rose from the bench, putting his book down. "Diana, move away. This may get a bit dangerous."

"Stop. Treating. Me. Like. A. Child!"

"How can you expect us not to, when you complain like that?" Rowan was seriously getting on my nerves. More than usual, if that was possible. Sage gave a sigh, which prompted me to summon an ice dagger and aim it at him. I purposely missed, but it still aggravated me when he effortlessly avoided it.

"Calm down. After this match, we will go to the human world. Fair?"

"Sure." Rowan gave a smirk. "Now then, let's see what will happen in this match. Ash just battled Diana, not that I think that wasted much of his energy, but isn't it just a bit unfair?"

"No. I'm already recovered." Ash slipped into battle stance, and Sage drew his sword and did the same.

10 minutes later (literally 10 minutes later), Ash leaned against one of the benches, gasping for air. Sage, on the other hand, was barely even winded. A bit of blood ran down Ash's arm, where the small cut was already closing. "To be fair, I fought Diana already." Ash's breathing was heavy.

"I thought you said that you recovered. Nevertheless, I congratulate you. You were better than I was, at your age." Sage gave a small, barely noticeable smile before his green eyes drifted to me. "Diana. Why do you look like you are about to have a heart attack?"

"…I lasted against Ash for 15 minutes. Ash only lasted against you for 10…This situation is beyond words."

"Congratulations." Sage mindlessly ran his hand through his hair, no doubt trying to figure out what I thought was so astonishing about the situation. I, on the other hand, felt very accomplished.

"Details, details. Close enough. Now let's go to the human world." Rowan got up and started walking out of the garden, heading for the trod.

* * *

"This..is the human world?" I gazed around, surprised. We were standing in the middle of a snow covered forest, and in the distance, smoke drifted into the air. With my vision, I could see a small village and mortals walking around, laughing and talking to each other.

"Yes. Though I'd advise you not to get too close. Last time I did that, I was chased away by torches and iron. The torches were annoying, but the iron _**hurt**_." Rowan gave a sigh, his icy blue eyes narrowed in annoyance at the memory.

"So, what did you want to do?" Ash shot another glare at Sage, probably still bitter about the outcome of the spar. I didn't think that was very reasonable. After all, I didn't shoot him icy glares of hate every 3 seconds, and I lost to him more than he lost to Sage.

"Would you all like to make a bet? Whoever can stay and blend into that village for the longest without getting found out will win."

"I believe that this is foolish," Sage said in response to Rowan's suggestion.

"No one asked you." Rowan smirked at him, which earned him a sigh from Sage.

"You did. You said 'would you _**all**_ like to make a bet?', and I have no reason to believe that I am not included in this 'all'," Came Sage's bored reply.

"Shut up, dear brother." Rowan sounded exasperated, and I gave a small smile, mentally congratulating Sage for annoying him.

"I, for one, fail to see the harm in it. So, yes. I agree," Ash's eyes filled with determination at the challenge, and he gave Sage another glare. Sage sighed, probably thinking 'how in Mab's name did everything become so troublesome?', and Rowan smirked.

"Fine then, little brother." Rowan's eyes danced with mischief, and I wondered why he was adding 'brother' to the end of each sentence. Not that it was relevant to the subject.

"Okay. I want to explore, so I think that it's fine." I raised my voice slightly to get their attention. They turned to me, Sage's expression somewhat resembling the teacher's annoyed 'her too?' I shot him a look that said, 'this is fate's revenge. Deal with it.'

* * *

Rowan's conditions were simple. We weren't allowed to glamour ourselves invisible, but we could glamour away our pointy ears and ice weapons. Also, we could only use the glamour that made our presence forgetful for a limited time. Pulling the hood over my head and suppressing a sigh, I walked into the human village alone.

It was lively despite the cold weather, and the warmth of fires across the settlement (ironically) made me nervous. I ran my fingers over my ear, idly wondering if the spell worked. How human did I look? Enough to fool an entire village of mortals? Enough to avoid getting killed by iron weapons?

I wandered through the village, my very aura causing adults to ignore me. I thought that this was easy, until a child came. "Mama, what are the Good Neighbors like again?"

"They are beautiful, but they are dangerous. You must stay away from them!"

"There is one right there, I think. She's very pretty, but she doesn't look evil." At this point in time, I was ready to complain that fate was never on my side. The woman standing by the child looked around, frantically searching while pulling her child close.

"Where? Where is she?" The mother's eyes continued to fearfully dart around, before landing on me. I closed my eyes and did my best to look human. "Oh! From where did you come?"

It seemed as if she didn't know. The child looked at me curiously, obviously able to see through the glamour that misted the eyes of her mother. "I came from there." I pointed to the forest.

"I see." She turned and scolded her child. "You mustn't lie, for I see not any Good Neighbors. Come along." She took the child's small hand in hers, and continued down the path. I gave a sigh of relief. After that incident, I didn't exactly want to stay any longer.

It started to snow soon, and I watched in astonishment as the breaths of the humans became clouds in the air. Perhaps that was what gave me away, because as soon as I released the glamour spell that made my presence ignored, most people immediately turned to me. They quickly started whispering amongst themselves.

"Who is that girl?"

"She wasn't here before."

"Her breath doesn't hang in the air."

"Is she one of them?"

I was really quite surprised that they were so quick to accuse. One of them pulled out a knife made of iron and spoke directly to me. "Are you one of the Good Neighbors?"

"No." And it wasn't a lie. I had no intention of being a good neighbor. At least not to them. They sighed in relief and resumed their tasks, completely forgetting about the girl who had appeared out of nowhere.

I was really grateful for my fey instincts, for one of them unexpectedly hurled the iron dagger at me. I ducked, but it nicked my arm and I hissed as it made contact with my skin. Where it had touched, the clothing had a hole, the iron melting the fabric and exposing the burn. "Iron burns them!" One of the humans shouted.

I gave a sigh, summoning enough glamour to freeze him and encase him in a shell of ice. The humans gasped, and began to try and kill me. Rowan was right. One of them or so was no problem, but an angry mob filled with angry people holding deadly iron weapons aimed to kill me was not exactly the best situation.

Emotions. I could feel the angry swirl of red anger around them, and I tried to make it into something softer, and not deadly. I felt a bit of confusion and doubt in their hearts, and I worked on it. They didn't want to kill a child. It was overweighed by my heritage, but not all of them were unwavering about it. There were too many, and I felt my glamour run out.

They continued to advance, though some of them felt more doubt. I drew my sword, and the humans gasped as the cold mist crawled toward them. "I am not an average faery, and I promise you that I am strong." I conveniently left out the word 'usually'. This seemed to create more doubt, and the humans slowly began to step back.

Then, before I had a chance to step forward, all of my brothers managed to encase them in a shell of ice. Rowan spoke. "I lost due to the fact that the humans found out because I was too amazing, Ash lost because he seems to have inherited some of Mother's temper, and Diana lost because she is Diana."

"I cannot deny the fact that you are amazing. You have an amazing lack of sanity, as well as an amazingly annoying way to state the obvious," I retorted, making sure to hide the iron burn from them.

"Why, I am-" Rowan was cut off by Sage, who made sure to glare at him.

"Incredible." Rowan smirked. "At lacking common sense." I gave a small giggle as Rowan glared at Sage when he finished the sentence. "This bet was ridiculous. I did not agree to it, and I was correct. The humans can be deadly even to us with their iron weapons."

Rowan immediately began to argue back, and Sage gestured to the group of humans, still trapped in the ice. He shook his head, and calmly said, "Let's go home."

Rowan glared at him, Ash doing the same. He didn't win against Sage today. Sage, on the other hand, was perfectly calm, but his green eyes flickered with anger as he stole a glance at the humans.

* * *

AN

Sorry it took so long! Please review!

-Lapis Moon


	7. Chapter 7: Memories- True Name

I gingerly touched the elaborately decorated tiara that I had to wear today. It was Mother's birthday, and she was going to hold a celebration in the castle. My dress was silver and black, meant to match the uniforms that my brothers wore. It wasn't as suffocating as some of the other gowns I was forced to wear, so I didn't have many complaints.

My present this year was fairly simple: a flower that was said to bloom once every 20 years. It was a faery flower that grew in the human world, and I went through quite the trouble to retrieve it. The legends (which were obviously true since I hold the source of them in my hand) say that if the flower were to be crushed into powder and dissolved in pure water, drinking the mixture would cause one's true self to be revealed in their dreams that night. It would show their hidden desires, wishes, fears, and many others.

As soon as I had heard the legend (nothing more than gossip at the time), I had literally spent days searching among the colorful meadows of the human world. Perhaps it was luck, or perhaps fate decided to be nice for a change, but I stumbled upon the silver-tipped lavender colored flowers deep in a forest. Maybe it was fey instinct, but I knew that the two 6-petaled flowers that lay blooming near a crystalline lake weren't normal mortal ones. I had taken both, and, proof of their magical origins, they did not wilt.

I had carefully dissolved one crushed petal of the first flower, and drank it cautiously, a bit fearful. I lived in a world where normally flowers of the sort could turn one into hedgehogs, so my fear was justified. I felt a bit reckless that day, so I didn't take any more precautions. True to the legends, I did see what I assumed to be my true self in my dreams.

I had only used one petal, so the rest of the first flower was still hidden in my drawer. The second was on the table, elaborately wrapped in lightly-colored ribbons. It was protected by a crystal case to make sure that it wouldn't be destroyed. My head started to hurt at the very thought of the time it took to decorate it.

I picked it up, careful not to damage it. Then, letting out a sigh and preparing myself to see the rest of the Winter court, I walked out of my bedroom. The halls were practically shimmering with crystal decorations, and I vaguely wondered how many servants were required to make it look like this. I felt bad for them. Wrapping a flower had taken me hours and had given me a massive headache. I didn't even want to imagine how much effort was required to decorate the entire castle.

"Hello, Diana. What is that?" Sage joined me, and he gestured to the crystal case in my arms.

"Surprise. You will find out soon enough." I gave him a mischievous smile, and he gave a sigh, almost saying, 'Now I almost do not wish to know.' He held a jeweled box, and I could only guess at its contents. No matter. He wasn't the only one that could keep secrets.

Ash had told me that he would get some kind of ancient crystal or something. Speaking of which, he walked into the hallway, giving a half-smile when he saw us. "I got an ancient crystal. From near the northern border. It was a bit troublesome, but I managed to find it. Some noble that owed me a favor told me about it." He held up a glass box, and I could see the multi-faceted gem glittering under the faery lights.

"I see. I congratulate you. Crystals formed in the old times are quite hard to get." Sage said. His own box looked old as well, and was embedded with many gemstones. "My own present originated in the old times as well."

"What is it?" Ash asked, curiosity dancing in his silver eyes as he gazed at the box.

"Wait and see." At Sage's response, Ash glared.

"I told you mine."

"I never asked." As usual, Sage's voice was perfectly composed. Rowan soon joined us, and he launched into a description of his present for Mother. Apparently, it was a Token, a rose carved from precious stones.

"Anyway, where's that wolf?" Rowan asked Sage.

"It's only been two weeks since we found her. She's still too small." He explained. His long hair was tied in a ponytail today, and it was so similar to mine, a cascade of black. By then, we had already reached the ballroom.

It was decorated with the icy colors of winter, and I was beginning to doubt that I would ever see anything else. I was quickly awoken from my reverie of wondering if there were any other colors in the world by the nobles, who gave false smiles and greeted us with fabricated warmth. I resisted the urge to glare at them.

Every single time the nobles were here, I felt as if I would rather sneak into Summer without a weapon then spend another minute with them. The ladies began to gossip as soon as we entered, and from what I could hear, the conversation involved 'the Winter princes' and 'my daughters'. I also thought that the word 'marriage' was present. Then they started to laugh a bit, probably sharing some kind of joke. The only joke that I noticed was that they didn't realize that we could see and hear them.

The sons of the nobility that were about my age or a bit older gave me small, what they probably thought were charming, smiles. I once again felt the pang of regret that I was not allowed to carry a weapon. Sending them a look that said, 'I'm not in the mood', I turned my gaze to the Queen.

"Today we celebrate my birthday." I wondered if she had purposely left out the age because she forgot it. I certainly would have. "My children, what do you have to offer?"

Sage, as the oldest, approached her and gave a bow. He offered her the jeweled box, before speaking in a soft voice, "This is the music box that has been long sought after it was supposedly lost. It belonged to a noble family of Winter before they perished. It was thought to have been lost when they, along with their residence, were destroyed." He was probably referring to the noble family that was killed in one of the conflicts of the nobility. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw some of them shift uncomfortably.

Mab opened the box, and we realized that it was only a case for the actual music box. It was made of crystal and gems, and it did not show any signs of its age. Next to it lay a small, glass key. Mother inserted the key into the music box, and the crystals within began to spin, playing a gentle, alluring melody. She gave a beam of happiness, and smiled at Sage in pride.

Rowan stepped next to Sage, and gave her his present. "A Token. A carving of a rose from many precious stones." He spared a glance at her, almost asking for permission to continue, and the Queen gave a slight nod. "The story of it is quite tragic. It was supposedly a gift for a young girl by her father, who made a living collecting such gems. The girl treasured it, and she did all she could to take care of it. A month later, her father went to gather firewood, and when he did not return, the girl grew worried. The girl quickly found her father, who was about to be eaten by wolves. She acted as shield just as they struck, and her blood was spilt upon this carving. A day later, her mother found both of them in the snow, surrounded by a pool of blood, and lying next to the gemstone rose."

"The rose that held the blood of both daughter and father. I have heard of it." Mab examined the Token in her hand. "It contains their bond, and it is quite precious." She smiled at Rowan. Rowan's blue eyes filled with triumph. Ash bowed and he offered her his gift.

"Mine does not contain a meaningful story, but its value is high. It is a gemstone formed in the old ages." His expression was composed, but he looked almost worried, as if Mab would not be pleased. She was, and her expression became even happier.

"It is indeed treasured." She took the gem into her hand, and examined it. "It will make a good crown."

I took a deep breath and approached her. I gave a curtsy (the best I could do when holding a mythical flower), and Mab took my present. She unwrapped it, and held it up in the glow of the faery lights illuminating the room, a question on her face. All of my brothers stared at me, as if saying, 'Are you crazy?', and I gave them a smirk in response.

"This is the Flower of Dreams." At those 6 words, the nobles started gasping and whispering amongst themselves. So they had heard of it. Of my brothers, only Ash looked shocked. His hunting did provide him with valuable knowledge. "It does not contain a story, but it is a legend. If the flower is crushed and dissolved in pure water, drinking it will enable you to see your hidden desires, fears, and basically who you are."

"Are the legends true?"

"Yes. There were two flowers. I made use of the first." I conveniently left out the fact that I had only used a petal, knowing that such knowledge was to be withheld. The nobles gave shocked expressions again, their faces reading, 'not one, but two?! What kind of luck does she have?!' I was tempted to respond by saying that I had terrible luck, but fate decided that it wouldn't be fun if I had died from Mab's wrath.

Normally, every year the presents were not required to be so extravagant. Every 10 years, however, Mab would require something special. "Where did you find this?" Mab asked, her eyes filled with disbelief. She had heard about its rarity as well.

"It is a faery flower that grows in the human world. It symbolizes that dreams will survive in the mortal realm. I found it in a forest there." I made sure to leave out the forest's name. It was environmental-friendly to do so. After all, I was quite sure that the nobility would not hesitate to cut down an entire forest in search of another Flower of Dreams.

"I see. Good job, Diana." Mab gave another bright smile of pride, and Rowan glared at me in jealousy. I shot him a look that said, 'It wasn't easy to find. I bet that there are only 2 in the world. I put effort into it.'

After the nobles overcame their shock (The image of their expressions will forever linger in my memory), they began to offer their presents to the Queen as well. I stepped back, glad to have an excuse to not be the center of attention. As soon as I left the crowd, my brothers joined me.

"So, how did you get the Flower of Dreams?" Ash asked casually, his eyes still filled with disbelief.

"I just…found it, I guess."

Rowan looked at both us, before speaking up. "I never heard of it before. What is it?"

"It's just as Diana said, a symbol of dreams living on in the mortal world. It is a faery flower that can grow only in mortal soil. Our origins are from mortal dreams. Connect the dots." Ash said, his silver eyes a bit smug. Probably because he knew something that Rowan didn't.

"A flower of dreams that grows in the human world, but is part of faery? It symbolizes the fey, does it not? Dreams that grow from mortals. It makes sense, if only just a little." Sage's expression turned thoughtful. "So, what did your dreams show you?"

I pulled them into a remote corner, where I lowered my voice and softly whispered, 'My True Name."

"Your what? You cannot be serious." Rowan stared at me in shock.

"I cannot lie."

"Names are truly precious. Even I do not know mine." Sage said, his green eyes full of wonder.

"Do you want to?" I directed the question at all of them, and Ash immediately answered.

"Yes, though something like that isn't so easily obtained."

"I have the means." I spoke softly again, careful to make sure that no one could hear me. I had already seen what I wanted to, so I had no use for the other 5 petals. Besides, I trusted them. They deserved to know. Love was weakness, of this I had long understood. But even so, I thought that they deserved to gain this knowledge.

Last night, I did not see any hidden desires that I was not aware. Mother had explained the Nature, and there was not a single trace of it in my dreams. She had said that the Nature was not who were truly were. No matter what, it would never be. The flower only showed me happy scenes of my life, and the fear of giving in to the Unseelie Nature. It also informed me of my true name. _Dianalia' Crescentia Tallyn,_ a voice had whispered to me_. That is your name_.

I snapped out of my daze when Sage asked a question. "What are they?"

"I have the means." I smiled at them. "Do you know where to get pure water?"

* * *

After an arrangement to meet with me after the celebration, my brothers returned to the ball, excitement dancing in their eyes. I wondered if any of them suspected the truth of the first Flower of Dreams.

When the long, tiring ball finally ended (despite it only being a few hours), I quickly went to my bedroom and collected 3 of the 5 remaining petals. After some long thought, I took the other 2 and hid them in the drawer. I carefully placed the 3 petals in a small jewelry box after emptying it of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and many others. Then I headed for the gardens.

Ash, Rowan, and Sage were already there, waiting for me. They looked up from their conversation when I arrived. "Remember how I said there were 2 flowers?" They nodded in remembrance. I took a deep breath before continuing. "I did use the first one, but only a petal of it." I showed them the glass case, the silver-tipped lavender colored petals shimmering inside.

They looked at it in shock, before Sage was the first to recover. "I see. Are you sure that you are okay with it?"

"Yes. I don't have any more use for it." I quickly went back into the castle alone. I grabbed a mortar and pestle, and after a moment's consideration, the rest of the petals. The effect wasn't strong enough with one petal. That was why I still didn't know the reason why I saw some of the images. Besides, keeping something so precious was dangerous. On the chance that someone (besides my brothers) found out, I would probably be in a dangerous situation.

I returned to the gardens, where my brothers had gathered a pitcher of pure water. "We asked the cook, who stared at us like we were crazy for a second. She still agreed though." Ash ran his hand along the hilt of his sword, and I had a feeling that it had something to do with her 'agreeing'.

"Can you promise not to tell Mab?" I knew that they wouldn't, but I wanted to make sure. All of them agreed, probably knowing that they too would get into trouble if she found out. I smiled and began to crush the petals. After I added it to the pitcher of pure water, it rippled before the water shimmered with the brilliance of silver.

A fragrance drifted into the air, sweet and alluring. When I had taken the risk, it had been the first thing that made me suspicious. Generally, things that smell sweet in faery did not lead to good consequences. Rowan formed ice cups with his glamour, and they drank the liquid.

"That tasted…fragrant," Rowan commented.

"How can something taste fragrant?" Ash smirked at him, and they started to discuss the multiple rules of grammar that Rowan had just broken.

Sage sighed before turning to me, his green eyes serious. "I trust you, Diana."

"It was a good thing. Now I don't bear the burden of hiding something so serious. And now tomorrow, you will know your True Name."

"I look forward to it," Ash said honestly, ignoring Rowan's protests about 'exceptions to the rules for poetry'.

"As do I," Sage added. Rowan gave a nod, and I decided that this was a treasured moment because he looked so serious. Rowan never looked that serious.

The next morning, when we made our way to the throne room, their eyes were filled with the unspoken 'thank you'.

* * *

AN

I always wondered how Ash knew his True Name. :) Thank you to all my readers and reviewers! This chapter was a bit serious because names are really important in the Nevernever.

-Lapis Moon


	8. Chapter 8: Memories- Sword Dances

AN

_This chapter was inspired by a friend._

* * *

"Wow. You got better," Rowan said, parrying Ash's blow. When Ash quickly slashed at him, Rowan smirked, seeing a weakness. He then ducked the arc of blue that was Ash's sword, and attempted to aim at Ash's undefended side. If Ash were human, the blow would have knocked his sword out of his hands, but he leaped back gracefully as soon as his quick reflexes took action.

Sage observed the spar, his green eyes filled with interest. I watched both of them fight, and compared it to a dance. The air was filled with the sounds of blades colliding with each other as Ash and Rowan continued to spar. It was pretty, because both of their swords gleamed blue as they slashed at each other, trying to find a weakness.

Ash flung ice daggers at him, and Rowan blocked them with his sword. They continued their icy dance, trying to dodge each other's blows. About 15 minutes later, both of their swords were at the other's throat.

Ash sheathed his, and Rowan mirrored the movement. We all saw that Ash had quite the talent for using the sword, being capable of keeping up with someone decades (or about a century) older than him. I sighed, obviously being the worst at fighting as of the moment. Sage turned to me. "Diana. Would you like to spar with me?"

"No." I quickly answered, causing my eldest brother's expression to turn questioning. "I can't even come close to winning against Ash."

"Then it will be good practice."

"If losing was good practice, I would be the better at crossing swords than all of you combined." My statement caused Sage to sigh.

"I won't be as serious about it as Ash and Rowan. I'll try to lower the level a bit."

"I had forgotten how mean you could be," I muttered, not intending for him to hear. He did though, and he stood up and raised an eyebrow, his sword already in his hands.

Rowan and Ash both moved to the side to watch. Ash's expression read, 'I almost feel bad for her', while Rowan's read, 'Let's all watch Diana lose. Badly', with a smirk to add effect. I glared at him, before grabbing my sword.

Sage lowered his, a subtle gesture that I could go first. I sighed, already knowing that I was going to lose, before beginning the spar. 5 minutes later, I glared at Sage. "I thought that you were going to 'lower the level'!" I said accusingly, already tired.

He gave me a patient look. "I did. If not, you would have lost by now." I said nothing, both because I was a bit annoyed at him and because I didn't have energy. Stepping back, I gathered glamour. I took a deep breath, feeling the energies of Winter gather around me. Sage, probably deciding that 10 seconds was enough of a head start for a spell, began to advance.

I flung an ice spear at him, annoyed when he effortlessly destroyed it. It was sufficient enough a distraction, because as the shattered ice shards reflected the sun (for about a second before they fell to the ground), they became extremely bright. I blinked in astonishment for a split second, before smirking like I planned it, and quickly used it to my advantage.

I ran behind him, using the fact that he was too distracted (and temporarily blinded) by the sunlight to my advantage. It worked (somewhat), and I was about to place my sword on his throat when he spun around and parried. His strength knocked the blade out of my hands, and it fell to the floor. "If this was a real life situation, what would you do?" He asked, aiming his sword so that it was pointed at my neck.

"Nothing. If my opponent is my older brother, I wouldn't really care." At my nonchalant statement, Rowan let out a laugh. Sage sighed.

"What if your opponent wasn't one of your family members?"

"Then I would freeze them."

"You can't freeze me. I could just break the ice," Sage said simply.

"Then your theoretical situation will never happen," I pointed out.

"And why is that?"

"It isn't possible. For my supposed opponent's Winter glamour to be much stronger than mine when he isn't in my family." After my statement, Ash let out a laugh too. Sage lowered the blade, and I could see the corners of his lips twitch slightly.

"That aside, you did well, using the ice as a distraction." He offered a small nod, and I figured it was as close as I would get to a 'congratulations'. I nodded too, hoping that he wouldn't realize that I didn't plan it at all.

* * *

AN

This chapter is really short, but I felt bad for not updating in a while. Puck will appear in the next chapter as well. Thank you to all my reviewers! And, as always, please review!

-Lapis Moon


	9. Chapter 9: Memories- Season's Friend

Ash was strangely happy today, almost as if he was looking forward to something. Considering the patterns of most of my family members (namely Rowan and Mab), I figured that it wasn't a good thing. For example, if Rowan was ever that happy, he was probably thinking of some evil scheme to kill me in my sleep. If Mab was ever that happy, then I truly pity the cause of her happiness.

Ash's expression was indifferent, but the light in his mercury eyes was unmistakable. "I'm going hunting," he said, looking more eager than usual.

"Can I come?" I was curious as to the cause of his unusual mood. Rowan was strolling nearby, observing the statues, and Sage looked up from the book in his hands.

"No." Ash said simply, and I blinked at his directness. His eyes were still eager, and he hurriedly left the gardens.

Rowan smirked, probably wondering the same thing as I was. "Well, someone's in a good mood today."

"I'm glad that it isn't you," I muttered, going back to the task of reading. Rowan glared at me.

"Would you like to spar?" He knew that I would lose.

"No. I will go hunting." Anything to avoid him.

"Didn't our dear brother make it quite clear that he didn't want you along?"

"I'm going alone," I countered, leaving the gardens. Sage gave a barely audible sigh before resuming his reading.

* * *

After grabbing a cloak and my sword, I left the castle. I spotted Ash ahead of me, but I made no move to approach him. Instead, I headed east, thinking that the Wyldwood was a good place to hunt today. I moved quickly to my destination, fairly surprised that Ash hadn't seen me. He must have been distracted.

I continued to walk through the Wyldwood, ignoring the curious stares that I received. At least they weren't as bad as the stares that I received from the nobles. The temperature here was higher than that of Tir Na Nog, and I couldn't say that it was comfortable. It made me a bit uneasy, and my senses seemed sharper than usual, aware of every little movement.

Perhaps it was this fact that led me to become aware of the laughter nearby. Feeling a bit reckless (or what most people would consider dangerous curiosity), I headed toward the direction of the laughter.

Hiding behind a tree, I watched as the red-haired boy let out another laugh. His eyes were green, but the color was much different than my eldest brother's. Sage's eyes were like green tinted pieces of ice. His were much more vibrant. It was almost like comparing the color of the leaves in Summer to the color of a pale green light shining softly on a piece of ice. Both were green, but they were so different that they should have been different colors entirely.

He seemed to be laughing at someone. I heard an overly familiar voice mutter, "Shut up," as Ash entered the clearing. I almost gasped out loud, but was unable to stifle my sharp intake of air. Ash's senses being as sharp as any faery's (probably more so, since he had royal blood), his silver eyes immediately narrowed in suspicion as he gazed in my direction.

I heard the sound of an ice dagger being shot, and I immediately drew my sword and used it to defend myself. After that, I stared at both of them in disbelief. The faery finally spoke up. "Sooooooo, who in the Nevernever are you?"

As tempted as I was to answer with, 'None of your concern', I quickly reminded myself that acting childish would get me nowhere. "Who are you?"

"I asked first." He answered simply. "But, I might as well tell you," He added with a smirk. "So, have you ever heard of Robin Goodfellow?"

"Not that I remember." This time, Ash smirked at my response. The boy rolled his eyes, and he spoke again, his voice full of exasperation.

"You know? Oberon's court jester?"

"Oh, you mean the one that the Summer Queen hates so much that she-"

"Stop right there." He frowned at me as he interrupted. "Is that all you know about me?"

"Fortunately, yes."

He blinked for a few seconds before he fully comprehended the insult. Then, he glared at Ash. "Let me guess. She's related to you."

"She's my little sister." He said simply. Then he turned to me, and I had a bad feeling about the situation. "Did I not say that you could not come?"

"I didn't follow you. I coincidentally happened to end up in the same place as you."

"You know, if fey could lie, I would tell you that you are the worst liar in the history of the world," Robin said.

I ignored him. "So this is your friend?" I asked Ash, forcing myself to stay calm. After all, there was no need to panic. All I had to do now was somehow make sure that the Queen knew nothing of this. I had to somehow convince my scheming, evil second older brother that my knowledge of Ash's friend was very limited. And I had to accomplish these tasks without lying. There was truly no need to panic.

Ash blinked once before sighing. "Yes."

"I'm going back. I won't tell, but I don't approve of it either. There is no reason for you to be so rebellious against the Winter court," I said simply. Ash's expression portrayed no emotion, just as we were taught to. I hated the fact that my voice sounded so cold at the end.

I turned away from them, refusing to meet Ash's gaze.

* * *

AN

Please tell me in the reviews whether I should continue with stories unrelated to the plot, or skip to Ariella. Thank you to all my readers.

-Lapis Moon


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